Derbyshire man sent his partner a racially-aggravated text message when he found out she was seeing another man

Gary Drakett sent the message after he discovered the woman was seeing a man of Asian descent and was sitting in his garden shed preparing to kill himself, Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court was told on Thursday, October 15.Prosecuting, Sarah Haslam told the court that Drackett had sent a racially-aggravated text message on May 1.

“Over the previous weeks they had been having issues over money, and he was asking for money for alcohol, and she had started a relationship with another man who was of Asian descent, and the defendant had issues with this.

“The victim then retracted her statement because she thought his behaviour had been out of character and he had been suffering during the lockdown period.

“He said that he sent the message when he was angry, and knew that the complainant would be upset.”

Drackett, 59, of Catherine Street, Alfreton, admitted sending a racially-aggravated malicious communication when he appeared before the court.

Mitigating, Amy Godson said that the couple had since reconciled and planned to marry, and that Drakett had been struggling after a cancer diagnosis.

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“He had been drinking and taken tramadol tablets with the purpose of taking his own life. He was in the garden shed and had prepared a noose when he sent the text, and it was only the complainant’s intervention that saved him.”

He was fined £120 and ordered to pay a £34 victim surcharge.

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